19 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint While Travelling

Building a greener future is easier than you might think. It’s just about making simple, everyday choices that help out the planet, and you don’t have to do it alone.

When we all adopt Earth-friendly habits, that’s when we start creating the sustainable world we want to see. Ready to make a difference? Read on for 19 simple tips you can use to lower your carbon footprint on your next WorldStrides Canada tour or on your summer’s family trip.

Preparing for Your Trip

●    Pack light to reduce the energy needed to get you to your destination.
●    Bring reusable items like a water bottle and a thermos.
●    Use digital tickets instead of paper ones.
●    Book flights with lower emissions, something many booking sites now display.

At the Hotel

●    Opt for sustainable accommodations that use eco-friendly practices.
●    Use your own toiletries to reduce single-use plastic waste. 
●    Be mindful of water usage — take quick showers and shut off the water when brushing your teeth.
●    Hang the Do Not Disturb sign on your hotel room door. Passing on daily housekeeping during a stay saves water and energy.
●    Turn off the AC, heat, fan, and lights before leaving your hotel room.

While Out and About

●    Travel via public transportation, and consider walking or biking where possible. You can also swap a bus tour for a bike or walking tour.
●    Carry a reusable shopping bag for purchases.
●    Dispose of waste in appropriate recycling or compost bins.
●    When hiking, respect local customs, wildlife, and protected areas by staying on designated paths.
●    Use reef-safe sunscreen when travelling to beach destinations to protect marine life.

During Mealtime

●    Buy food at local markets to support the local economy and try something new.
●    Sit down to eat instead of getting takeaway to reduce packaging waste.
●    Refuse single-use items like extra napkins, cutlery, and straws.
●    Opt for plant-based foods when possible. Plan a group vegetarian night!
●    At buffets, take only what you can finish to avoid food waste. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!


Offset the Rest
In addition to reducing what you can, another effective strategy is to offset what you can’t. Our Choose Earth initiative lets our travellers cancel out the carbon emissions from the travel portion of their trip. Even better: we cover 50% of the carbon offset costs related to transportation on all our trips. For groups travelling by motorcoach, it’s automatically included. For air travel, if you choose to offset your emissions at registration, we’ll cover half the cost. Together with our travellers, we’ve neutralized over 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions to date. 

If you're travelling on a friend or family trip, you can also offset your carbon through vetted providers like Carbonzero.

Earth Day, Every Day
Looking for more ways to create a greener future? Here are 52 Earth Day actions you can take to help secure a healthy planet, all year long. 

We hope these tips inspire you to take action. Let’s celebrate Earth Day today and every day, because together we can make a big difference for the planet.